‘However, we also know that the effectiveness of vaccines in limiting the spread of disease at the population level is much lower than promised. This is why we find it unethical to force someone to get vaccinated.’

Eesti Päevaleht has published an appeal to the Government of the Republic, the Riigikogu and the Chancellor of Law on behalf of the group Estonian Doctors and Scientists for Open Discussion. Within hours of publication, the article was deleted. 

Fortunately, Telegram managed to publish the taboo appeal. ’We are a group of Estonian doctors, health professionals and scientists who are united by a desire to reduce the polarization that has arisen in society over vaccinations and health issues,’ reads a statement sent to addressees on October 20.

Here is the full text of the appeal: ‘To the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Riigikogu, the Chancellor of Law: We call for a balanced discussion with the participation of all parties and social groups on the COVID-19 situation in the Republic of Estonia.

We would like to draw your attention to the following problems: The Covid-19 vaccines used in Estonia have only a conditional authorisation for use in an emergency. This means that there is significantly less clinical data on coronavirus vaccines compared to other vaccines used in the past. Clinical trials of such vaccines will last until at least 2023, and there is currently no definitive data on their adverse reactions and effectiveness.

Based on interim data, COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness and death at the individual level. This is especially important for people with immunodeficiency disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other risks of diseases that can lead to hospitalisation or death.

We recommend that at-risk groups, including seniors over 65 years of age, are fully informed about all the circumstances surrounding vaccination, which will help preserve the principle of free will.

However, we also know that the effectiveness of vaccines in limiting the spread of disease at the population level is much lower than promised. This is why we find it unethical to force someone to get vaccinated.

The vaccination passport policy implemented in Estonia is based on the belief that vaccinated people are protected from infection. 

Now that it has become clear that vaccinated people can get sick and spread the virus just like unvaccinated people, restricting their basic rights is unjustified and unfair. 

Well-intentioned vaccination passports do not serve their original medical purpose, but rather work against it, offering their owners an unwarranted sense of security and contributing to the division of society.

The benefits of vaccinating children do not outweigh the potential risks. Children and adolescents are not at risk of contracting COVID-19, and their illness is usually mild.

Our suggestions for improving the situation: Medical data must remain confidential to the physician and patient. Access to this data by third parties, such as security personnel or employers, must be declared unlawful.

Since COVID-19 patients acquire broader, more effective and longer-lasting immunity than modern vaccines provide, this fact must also be taken into account when issuing COVID certificates. If a country decides to continue to require such certificates, those who have recovered should have the same rights as those vaccinated, without any difference in validity.

Instead of the impossible task of ‘getting the virus under control’, it is necessary to focus on preventing disease and developing recommendations for treatment in the early stages of the disease. We call for an end to intimidation and pressure, and for knowledge-based dialogue with a variety of professionals. We rely on the leaders’ wisdom and their informed decisions. Best regards and pending an open discussion, group ‘Estonian doctors and scientists for an open discussion’

NOTE: The appeal was signed by 103 healthcare professionals and pundits, 47 of them wished to remain anonymous, 56 agreed to make their names public. Source